Thailand is promoting the relocation of thousands of people rescued from fraud centres on Myanmar’s border.
1,000 Chinese citizens rescued from Myanmar’s online fraud centres are set to return to Japan following international crackdowns on illegal operations.
They were one of thousands of foreigners released from fraud centres this week, where they were especially forced to run romance and investment scams.
Many claimed to be the victims themselves, and were seduced by the Thai country with false promises of work before being trafficked across borders in Myanmar.
Karen Border Patrol, a group allied with Myanmar’s military government, says it will deport 10,000 people from the Myanmar-Thai border region in the coming days.
Thailand, China and Myanmar are working together to close fraud centres on the Thai-Myanmar border.
Thai authorities oversee much of the evacuation and processing, with workers being sent in small batches from Myanmar to Thailand.
The United Nations estimates that as many as 120,000 people could be working at Myanmar’s online fraud centres, where criminal gangs are taking advantage of the country’s instability and ongoing civil war.
According to the United Nations, another 100,000 may be trapped in Cambodia, with thousands more locked in similar facilities in Southeast Asia.
Earlier this month, Bangkok cut off electricity to the border areas to slow the gang.
The first group of 200 returned to China on Thursday. There, it was filmed by state media wearing handcuffs and a jumpsuit as they left the plane.
The latest crackdown began after a high-profile incident in January. Chinese actor King Xing was seduced by Thailand with a promise of a film role, then taken across the border to Myanmar.
He was quickly rescued by Thai authorities, but the incident went viral on social media in China, along with debate over the dangers of travelling to Thailand.
Source link
